Work with me here – check out this Facebook page from “SF Environment – Government Organization.”

Can you tell if this entity is part of SFGov? It’s a little hard.

Now, go down to the bottom to see a disclaimer about how FaceBook aint responsible for nothing, which is fair enough, but do you notice a typo in the first sentence? And “your information” isn’t going to SFGov, it’s actually going to “Wishpond Technologies?”

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to Wishpond Technologies and Company and not to Facebook. By participating in this promotion you agree to a complete release of Facebook from any claims. Powered by Wishpond

The bad grammar, from people who want “your information,” it generally suggests a scam, non?

Anyway, here at the official home page is where we see that SFE is in fact “A DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO.”

So first up, who runs it? IDK. Why do we need it? IDK. What has it ever done? IDK

So, second up, I think the San Francisco Department of the Environment shouldn’t be afraid to call itself the San Francisco Department of the Environment.

And, third up, it appears that any kind of participation in this “private public partnership” beautification program, like thumbs-upping a photo, will garner you, the Gentle Reader, a sales call from Wishpond Technologies and Company, whatever that is.

So, Reader beware.

And to you all, SF Environment, I’m only just saying.

With love, from .com to .gov or gov.org or org.gov or whatever you people are calling yourselves these days.

“Race organizers and media have reported that the course records set by Sammy Kitwara in 2009 and Lineth Chepkurui in 2010 are also world records at the 12 km distance;[31] however, the International Association of Athletics Federations, the international governing body for the sport of athletics/track and field, does not recognize world records or world bests in either an indoor or outdoor 12 km.[32] The Association of Road Racing Statisticians, a non-regulatory group that collects road running data, does recognize world records in the outdoor 12 km provided that the race course meets certain criteria.[33][34] In order to rule-out the possibility of wind assistancein point-to-point courses, the ARRS stipulates that the course must have “not more than 30% of the race distance separation between that start and finish”, or 3.6 km for a 12 km race.[34] Given that the Bay to Breakers is run on a point-to-point course in which the start and finish of the event are approximately 10.5 linear kilometers apart, the ARRS recognizes two other marks as 12 km world records: Kenyan Simon Kigen‘s 33:46 in Portland, Oregon on May 19, 1985 and Chepkurui’s 38:10 at the 2010Lilac Bloomsday Run.[33][nb 2]

“The Bay to Breakers is known for the large number of unregistered runners, or “bandits”, who participate in the race. Ross Mirkarimi, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, reported that over half of the 60,000 participants in the 2010 Bay to Breakers were unregistered.[19]San Francisco MayorGavin Newsom was among the runners in 2010 who did not pay the registration fee to obtain a race number.[19][22]Registered participation was 24,430 in 2010,[23] 43,954 in 2011,[24] 23,072 for 2012,[25], and approximately 20,000 for 2013.[26]“

One car gets away in the nick of time, but three others aren’t so lucky:

Ted and Al’s had like ten yellow tow trucks ready to go late Saturday night, in the driving rain. (Note how Bank of America is protecting its windows – the IndyBay crowd got to them, smashy smashy, about a year or so back, unrelated to Bay to Breakers.)

Now, speaking of prêt-à-porters, this is the main body, this is the largest array for the Golden Gate Park Panhandle:

And here’s the second-biggest grouping, along Masonic:

And there are some on the other side of Fell, typically in groups of six on some of the blocks.

But that’s it.

Not sure where B2B is hiding their 1000+ portable toilets claimed for 2011, at this point, just hours before the Kenyans take off on their winning runs.

Oh well.

And there’s no sign of the fencing neither, except for what they have every year.

We’ll see.

The Great Fence of B2B100 is supposed to have upon it either images of Christ hand-selected by P. Anschutz or photos of people who ran the race before white NIMBYs moved into the Western Addition. (You’ll have to tell me about it…). Anyway, here’s the baby fencing they have on scene already along with, and isn’t this cute, a message from San Francisco Natives for a Fun and Buzzed Bay to Breakers. Apparently, the cops can’t arrest for an open container in San Francisco…

And doesn’t this just break your heart – this Vespa scooter has been forgotten on the slopes of the famed Hayes Street Hill, the second highest point on the “racecourse.” Will Auto-Return charge $700 for its return?

Oh, you are a sucker. Well, then be my guest – pay $48 for a number. And actually, and you’ll enjoy this, sucker, it’s already too late to get a good deal on registration for 2013. Prices be higher now.

Most people who aren’t professional runners don’t pay and here’s a good reason not to pay:

“Embarcadero Substation. Built in 1973, this monochromatic, cast-concrete building on Folsom Street features slightly exposed aggregate that is not detectible to the human eye from across the wide street. Discoloration from smog helps accentuate its subtle curves and makes the building read as even more massive and brawny.”

Click to expand

Oh, what’s that, PG&E? You’re not the worst large utility in America? Oh yes you are.